Wednesday, November 8, 2017

In the Footsteps of the Prophet

In the Footsteps of the Prophet
by Tariq Ramadan

I always enjoy learning about topics that I don’t know as much as I should, so reading In the Footsteps of the Prophet by Tariq Ramadan was exceedingly helpful.  As NYU has experienced an increase in its Muslim student population, I have had the opportunity to engage with more RAs who are members of the Muslim faith tradition.  This book allowed me to learn the life story of the religious leader, the prophet Muhammad.  Muhammad received the last revealed book, the Quran, which shares the position of the faith leader.  He is believed to be the chosen one to reveal the message from God.  Muhammad reveals the path of spirituality by “transcending the respect and love for God in the worship and love they must offer to ask of the One who begets not and is not begotten”.  The book presents Muhammad’s life from beginning to end and shares the five pillars of Islam: Faith; Prayer; Charity; Fasting; and pilgrimage to Mecca.  A must-read for anyone curious about the origins and faith tradition of the Muslim religion.  The book helped me tremendously in understanding the historical context and many of the rituals I witness our students practicing.  We have a vibrant community on our campus, and, as Western society is confused by the teachings of the religion, I say this is a ‘go-to’ teaching guide to refer to in your introduction to the faith.

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